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Is it REALLY just about Penguins?

edited November -1 in General Discussion
The War on Christmas, er, um, Penguins

Beck, Cavuto, Medved Push Absurd Notion of Environmentalist Propaganda in Animated Penguin Movie

Washington, D.C. -- Not content with their annual discussion of a supposed "War on Christmas," conservative talking heads have taken on a new issue this season: environmentalist propaganda in children's movies. CNN Headline News' Glenn Beck and Fox News' Neil Cavuto recently spoke out against Warner Bros.' new animated children's movie Happy Feet; criticizing the film for its alleged pro-environmentalist content. Media Matters for America spokesman Karl Frisch responded to the criticism, lambasting the conservative talking heads for their return to holiday-season absurdity.

"The idea that anyone would make such comments against a children's movie about a tap-dancing penguin shows just how low the bar has dropped for what the media consider real news," Frisch said. "Conservatives seem to have abandoned their traditional coverage of the supposed 'War on Christmas' for a 'War on Penguins.' "

During their programs, both Beck and Cavuto referred to the film as "propaganda," adding that the movie amounted to "an animated version of An Inconvenient Truth." Happy Feet, which features animated dancing penguins, also admittedly contains environmental conservationist themes, which Beck and Cavuto claimed were meant to indoctrinate children.

Conservative talk-radio host Michael Medved took his criticism a step further in a November 17 weblog post on Townhall.com, referring to the film as "Crappy Feet" and saying it was the "darkest, most disturbing feature length animated film ever offered by a major studio."

Comments

  • the adverts for this are played once every ad break on a chanel i watch


    thus i hate the film already


    but from these adverts i see no such Propaganda!
  • 90% of greenhouse gases, are water in vapor form!

    global warming, man its been -40 all week, but still! dont polute!
  • QUOTE (sweetness @ Nov 30 2006, 12:26 AM)
    90% of greenhouse gases, are water in vapor form!

    global warming, man its been -40 all week, but still! dont polute!


    The point is that it's a movie about DANCING PENGUINS. Dancing. Penguins.

    I cannot imagine *how* these nutjobs drew the conclusion that it's propaganda.

    DANCING PENGUINS.
  • I dunno... the globe said it was very very weird, and dark, for a movie about dancing penguins.

    so who knows? maybe it does have subliminal environmentalist messages.

    but what's wrong with that? I wouldn't mind it if more movies had hidden environmentalist messages.

    I really just think its funny that the conservatives are getting their panties in a twist about this. I mean, its not like there's anything MORE IMPORTANT to discuss in the world! sheesh.
  • Yeah it actually does have a very apparent pro-environmentalist bent to it--ie. talk of the ice caps melting and drawing scars on orcas to show that they have been hit by boats.

    I'm all for brainwashing children into being environmentalists haha. It's easier than convincing them when they get older that we're destroying the world.
  • QUOTE (DJRose @ Nov 30 2006, 08:25 AM)
    The point is that it's a movie about DANCING PENGUINS. Dancing. Penguins.

    I cannot imagine *how* these nutjobs drew the conclusion that it's propaganda.

    DANCING PENGUINS.


    You, sir, win the topic with that last sentence. =P

    QUOTE (QueenofthePosers @ Dec 1 2006, 12:14 AM)
    I'm all for brainwashing children into being environmentalists haha. It's easier than convincing them when they get older that we're destroying the world.


    And there, I completely agree.
  • QUOTE (Lostgame @ Dec 1 2006, 09:30 AM)
    You, sir, win the topic with that last sentence. =P


    Well I'm a woman, but thanks. ;-D I do aim to amuse.
  • First Fern Gully, now Happy Feet...what are our children being taught these days?

    *shakes head* The shame.
  • haha. I hated Fern Gully. I think I was scared of it when I was little, and I never gave it another chance. I'd probably like it now since I am, after all, a treehugger.
  • The big black blob or whatever it is was pretty freaking scary, I have to say.
  • I rememeber when they used to show Fern Gully at Gymboree and we'd all sit and watch it..
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